Wabash linebacker John Hartley rings the Monon bell during
a post-game celebration at mid-field
after Wabash defeated DePauw 27-3.
SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
Similar to the way the DePauw University Tigers dominated Hiram College in their first five offensive possessions last week, the Wabash College Little Giants scored on four of their first five possessions against the Tigers as their 27-3 victory kept the Monon Bell in Crawfordsville, Indiana for another year.
The Tigers finished ranked third in the North Coast Athletic Conference and 7-3 on their overall season. It was the first winning record for DePauw’s football program since 2010.
“Going into this game, I thought DePauw would win,” WGRE Broadcaster Robert Sherman said. “Their seniors never won the bell, the team was the best it's been in years, there was a clear plethora of talent...it just seemed like the year.”
In the first series of the game, the DePauw defense held the Little Giants to a punt, where in turn they returned. Then Wabash capped off their first scoring drive with a field goal, making the score 3-0.
That’s where the Tigers lost control of the game.
“Going into the game, we were so confident, you could feel the energy getting on the bus, but I felt that energy shift when we got on the sideline,” sophomore quarterback Matt Hunt said. “We panicked and we lost our poise, I lost my poise, and collectively we never got it back throughout the game, and you can't do that in a big game or any game for that matter.”
After being forced to punt again, Wabash regained possession of the ball. After a couple of big plays, they got the ball in the end zone, bringing the score to 10-0, Wabash.
Right when it looked like DePauw was getting back in the game, Hunt hit senior J.D. Robinson for a 74-yard gain and he was downed at the five-yard line. The series ended in a field goal from sophomore Marko Adams, making the score 10-3 in the beginning of the second quarter.
DePauw University’s Amen Galley attempts to recover a ball
fumbled by teammate Matt Hunt.
SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
Wabash drove 75 yards down the field, finished with a three-yard touchdown run, now making the score 17-3 Wabash.
An overall theme of the game was the toughness of Wabash’s defense, which limited the usually productive Tigers, forcing Hunt to make three plays in a row for a loss in the next series and led to excellent field position for the Little Giants and another field goal. The score was now 20-3.
“Wabash man handled us,” Hunt said. “We need to be bigger, faster and stronger across the board. We are right with them skill wise, we just need to get stronger as a team.”
Adams agreed.
“We can't settle for the gains we've made,” Adams said.
The final score of the game came off a blocked and recovered punt in the end zone in the fourth quarter. The final score was 27-3.
The Tigers only had 151 yards of offense total, accompanied by six first downs. The Little Giants held their usually dominant run game to 40 yards.
Meanwhile, Wabash had almost 400 yards of total offense, but also had their usually dominant run game considerably diminished by DePauw’s defense.
Sophomore Will Longthorne had 14 tackles on the game, followed by classmate Thomas Gray and senior Garrett Rice with 12 each. Senior Clark Costello had a blocked field goal attempt and shared a sack with sophomore Peter Nelson.
The defense held Wabash well below their average points scored per game, but the offense wasn’t able to put the ball in the end zone.
Despite the Monon loss, this is the best season the Tigers have had in four years, and the players aren’t letting the Monon Bell loss define their season.
DePauw University quarterback Matt Hunt tries
to connect with a receiver downfield.
SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
“The bell is obviously an important game, but I would never consider this a bad season,” Hunt said. “We have done some great things as a team, and we couldn't ask for a better senior class. Obviously we would like to send those guys out ringing the bell, but they have done so much for this program, and it has shown this season.”
Adams also felt the 2014 season was better.
“We had a winning record for the first time in the seniors' careers," Adams said. "We also won three more games than we did last year, meaning three fewer losses. So much is put on this one game. While certainly very exciting and a great tradition, this one game is not a measure of the success our team had this season.”